Brotherly Love
by Megamind-loves-Roxanne
Summary: Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru get trapped together in a cave. Here's the catch...they're both HUMAN! Can they settle their differences once and for all? NOT AN INCEST FIC! Last chapter out!
1. Trapped?

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Arigatou to all who reviewed both of my fics!!!

**__**

DEDICATIONS: A **LOT** this time! O.o **alandrem** (arigatou for the review!!!), **Harmony McKellin** (Arigatou for the review!!! And you hate South Park? O.o I LOVE that show! I think it's sooo funny ^^), **Inuyasha-kun** (don't worry. I'm not going anywhere so I'll have plenty of fics that you can obsess over ^^ Sorry if I sound conceited. I'm not trying to be. But arigatou for reviewing **both** fics!!!), **Lady Priestess** (Arigatou for the review and for the words!! They sound a lot like "terminado" and "acabado" in spanish), **Demon-Wolf** (Arigatou for the review!! And about the sequel…I don't think that's going to happen. I don't think that fic needs a sequel), **yana** (arigatou for the review and for telling me who it was who said "my precious". I'm a Lord of the Rings fan but I forgot the guys name), **Amaya Shinkuyoake** (gomen about putting the English words next to the Japanese words. I just thought that was better because if you know right away what the word means than you can get the fic a whole lot better. It's better than having to go to the bottom of the fic and looking for the translation, rather than just have it there next to the word and not having to loose your place and loose the essence of the fic. But arigatou for the review!!!), **Emmi-chan** (arigatou for reviewing **both** fics!!!), **DemonAni (formerly known as lilaznanigurl)** (arigatou for reviewing **both** fics!! And how did you survive without my fics? ^^ j/k), **^^** (yup, that's the name the reviewer put in. Arigatou for the review and for telling me about Golem or however you spell it), **Cherokey** (*cries* yeah, my fic was **almost** perfect. I want them to **be** perfect! I'll never become a professional writer if they aren't perfect. *stops crying* But arigatou for reviewing **both** fics!!!), **Hanyou Kells** (I bet you I don't write better than you. I'll have to check out your fics to see. But arigatou for reviewing **both** fics!!!), **DarkflamesSolitude** (arigatou for the review!!!), **LilFoxgirl** (Yay! Another famous Inuyasha author who reviewed!! Thank you soo much for reviewing!! I **DO** love your fics and "Chaos at Camp" is getting SOOOO good. Keep going!!!), **nekomon** (arigatou for the review!! And I hope I can get out my **_VVVVVEEEERRRRRRYYYY_** **_LLLLLLOOOOONNNNGGGG_** fic out soon. I just need to do some research on the states), **Lauren Williams** (Arigatou for the reviews and I hope you come back to read more!!), **telosphilos** (A **BIG** arigatou to you because you gave me info on Florida!! Now I don't have to research that state! Do you live there? Or have you been there?), **Inu-chan** (I feel like I'm talking to myself ^^;; But arigatou for the review!!!), **Vitani FyreWolf** (arigatou for the review!!!), **silenthopechik** (a **BIG** arigatou to you for loving my fic so much. I didn't think it was going be liked so much. I thought it needed a bit more detail), **usagipegusus** (arigatou for reviewing!!!)

I want to separate two people from the reviews. First off there's **Kimmy**. This fic is **ESPECIALLY **dedicated to you because you wanted a Sesshoumaru fic and I already had one in mind. I'm not sure if I displayed him correctly though. Please tell me if you find him too OOC. I apologize if he is. I'm not much of a Sesshoumaru fan like a lot of people. My fav characters are only Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippou-chan (**MY** Shippou-chan!! *hugs him close* He's sooooo kawaii!!!!!!!!!!!).

Then there's **Lightning-sama** (of course) for her constant support of me. And Lightning-sama, no matter what translation book or online dictionary I used, the word "baita" means "bitch" in Japanese. It's kind of like me though. I'm fluent in spanish but there are words I don't know. And about the editing, I'm going to send you any fics that have Japanese phrases on them so you can help me to correct them. I guess you won't mind since you appear to like editing so much. I don't usually like it though when people edit my stuff (*hides* I'm not trying to be mean!!) It's just that I don't feel like I put my own effort into it. I'm too much of a loner when it comes to doing work. I like to do it without any help. But I have to admit that I'll need help with my Japanese phrases so my next fic I'll send for you to edit k? Arigatou for all the support you've given me!!!!

NOW you can go read the fic. So for the long dedication but I like to mention **EVERYONE** who reviews. People like it when they're mentioned (I know I do!!).

Disclaimer: I'll make this one short. I don't own Inuyasha. There. 

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Brotherly Love

By Inuyasha-loves-Kagome (A.K.A. Inu-chan)

~**~

Sesshoumaru sat down on the cool grass near the lake, the light breeze wafting his way and causing his beautiful hair to flutter to the side. How he despised such beauty! Having to watch a butterfly perch itself on a flower and look like a work of art disgusted him. He turned away from the scene, his emotionless face unchanging, though he felt anger deep inside him. He hated to show emotion. Emotions were weaknesses and he despised weaknesses.

He despised it as much as Inuyasha.

No one had ever asked him before why he hated his half-brother so much. Not that Sesshoumaru would tell them. Perhaps it wasn't even hate. He shook his head. No. It definitely wasn't hate. It was just disgust because he was half-human AND appeared to be the favorite to their father. Imagine! His father the great demon lord of the Western Lands choosing a weak hanyou over a great youkai son like him! It was enough to make his blood boil!

"Sesshoumaru-sama...?" a familiar curious voice asked him from his left. He didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. She was always with him, and he had realized (though never admitted) that when she was around, he didn't feel quite so angry at anything...not even Inuyasha.

He turned to look at her and smiled a ghostly smile. He would never smile anymore than that but it was a miracle he smiled at all. His tiny smile was left only for her, because she showed him that not all humans were bad, and that perhaps it was time to accept, rather than judge all the time. "What do you have there Rin?" he asked, although his voice was as emotionless as he was most of the time.

The tiny girl smiled brightly and held out a bouquet of flowers towards him. Her smile made everything glow. "Rin picked flowers for Sesshoumaru-sama! Rin wants Sesshoumaru-sama to be cheerful and smile more. RIn knows that he's a nice guy!"

He didn't know whether to take the flowers or not. He didn't want to show that he appreciated anything. Just because he had admitted to accepting some things, that still didn't change anything too dramatically. There was no way in hell that he was going to all of a sudden become some sort of human lover and do them favors. Other than Rin, humans were weak creatures who deserved to be moved far away from youkai. Separating the two species seemed to be the best thing for everyone. He stood up and began to walk away. "Come on Rin. Let's go."

Rin looked down at the lovely arrangement she had picked especially for him and she couldn't help but feel rejected. She had put her heart into making it just right but he didn't seem to care about them. She let them fall and walked slowly after him.

~**~

"Damned Kouga!" Inuyasha cursed for the millionth time that day. **The bastard! Imagine! He came again because he wanted to flirt with Kagome! That's all he cares about when he comes! Always having to act all friendly towards her!** How he had wanted to dig his claws into the wolf-youkai! He swore that if it hadn't been for Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha would have lost control and his human blood would have ebbed, making him into the deadly youkai that everyone feared.

He clenched his fists and tried to make the anger and hate go away. He didn't even know why he cared. It was just that every time Kouga came, Inuyasha knew the main reason for his "visit" and Inuyasha felt a strong emotion towards that. It was an emotion he had felt when Miroku had asked Kagome to "bear his child".

He clawed at a nearby tree and breathed to calm down. He needed to calm down! This was just too much for him. He should be concentrating on the _Shikon no Kakera's_ anyways.

"Inuyasha..." a misty voice called out to him, sounding like it had come from everywhere. There was no definite source to the voice. His ears weren't able to pick up any source. He turned from side to side trying to see if there was anything strange. Perhaps a youkai was messing with him.

A ball of light began to surround him and Inuyasha took a step back. He had done it in fear and surprise but he hadn't realized that his step was so large. His back collided with a solid wall and he realized that the ball around him was a cage. It looked like a large bubble. Well, a large bubble wasn't going to trap him like some weakling! He took out Tetsusaiga and transformed it. Then he began to pound ferociously on the walls of the bubble, trying to break it.

"It's no use doing that Inuyasha," came the misty voice again. What did it want from him?

Another ball of light appeared but this time a figure materialized in the middle. It was a woman with long, silvery wings on her back. Her long, red hair cascaded down her back in waves and her bright green eyes showed more life that anyone Inuyasha had ever seen. She was smiling at him with soft, full pink tinted lips. Those lips parted and words began to pour out of her mouth as coolly as a river. "I'm sorry to have trapped you Inuyasha but I need to complete a mission. I know you would never have agreed to this willingly. Not many do."

Inuyasha growled and still tried to pound away at the walls. He yelled over the large noises he was making. "**What do you mean by that wench**?"

The mysterious woman's smile grew brighter and there was a lot of amusement there. "Ah Inuyasha, always the bad talker. Yet through all you do and all you love, you have been forgiven for everything. Bad events in one's life that were not caused by you must not be considered sins. What you do now is caused by those events but you have redeemed yourself through protecting your friends and caring for them."

Inuyasha had no idea what she was talking about, but he didn't complain. A feeling began to pass over him...one of peace and empty of guilt. His eyes felt heavy, and although he tried to keep them open, he couldn't. He let himself fall into unconsciousness.

The woman lifted her arms and in an instant, Inuyasha was gone. "I hope you can get over all your troubles. Your heart is so troubled and yet you are so young. One your age shouldn't have to go through such suffering. I hope this will at least lift one of the burdens that weigh heavily on your shoulders."

She then materialized into nothingness...

~**~

His head pounded and he felt weak all over. What had happened? All he remembered was that there was a woman in front of him who was sputtering meaningless crap in his face about accepting things in his life. But why did he feel weak? He had never felt like this in his whole life. Was this how human's felt when they were faced against a youkai? Did they feel powerless like this?

He moaned and scrunched his eyes, trying to force the heaviness of sleep away so that he could open them. Strange thing was that he heard someone else moan. And the voice sounded familiar.

He forced his eyes open, but there was darkness all around him. He couldn't see anything other than the light the moon gave, which wasn't much considering that it was blocked by clouds. He sat up and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. **Damned eyes!** he cursed. **What the hell is wrong with them? They never take this long to adjust!**

A familiar voice broke the silence of the wherever-the-hell-he-was. "Hello...? Is someone there?" He blinked. Had he heard right? Was that...Inuyasha?

He growled, but was surprised to find out that he couldn't make the familiar sound. He didn't bother with that at the moment though. "What are you doing here?" he asked, hoping, or not, that he was right.

He heard a low gasp and then an attempt at a growl. "What are you doing here, bastard?" Yup. It was Inuyasha all right. He could tell by the tone and the lack of vocabulary. "I asked you first," Sesshoumaru responded, keeping his voice expressionless as always.

"Feh. I don't have to tell you."

Sesshoumaru picked himself up from the ground and tried to make out where he was, where Inuyasha was, and maybe even what the hell was going on. But it was useless. His eyes felt different somehow, just like his body. Everything was weak and he hated it.

The moon was finally able to break away from the clouds and the light poured into what was later discovered as a cave. Sesshoumaru discovered that Inuyasha was in his pathetic human form but it was his expression that bothered him. His eyes had widened and his mouth was hanging open. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Doushita?" What the hell was he gaping about?

Inuyasha narrowed his deep violet eyes and even pointed with his clawless finger. "Did you wish to be human or something?"

Sesshoumaru didn't like to have jokes played on him and this was the worst sort of joke. **How dare he call me a human! They're weak insignificant beings!** He tried to growl again but the sound was low and not as threatening as he was hoping. "Don't kid with me! I'd never do something that stupid!"

Inuyasha frowned deeply and turned his head away. "Feh! Fine then! Don't believe me! You should see for yourself. Your hair is black and you don't have the stripes on your face." What was keeping them from beating each other up to a pulp? Why hadn't they just fought right away? When they usually encountered each other, they started fighting even when there wasn't a reason. What was holding him back now?

Sesshoumaru knew that when he looked, he would see silver hair and not black like Inuyasha wanted to make him believe. But curiosity, a feeling he hated like so many others, made him gingerly reach back and pull a bit of hair forward so he could see.

What he saw made his eyes widen in disbelief.

He **DID** have black hair! And his hands didn't have claws or marks!

He turned to look at Inuyasha and saw that he was smirking with contempt at being right. "**What the hell happened to me?**" Sesshoumaru asked as he narrowed his eyes.

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly, and his smirk disappeared, leaving only a shadow. "How the hell should I know? I'm also wondering why I'm human when it isn't even the new moon."

Sesshoumaru didn't wait to hear anymore. Human or not, he was going to beat the **crap** out of his miserable half-brother! He charged forward and gripped his hand into a fist to at least try to punch him. He saw Inuyasha get into a ready stance and also clench his fists.

Sesshoumaru ended up colliding into the wall. He fell backward on his butt and cursed.

Inuyasha blinked and got out of his stance. **What was that?** He took a few steps forward and slowly reached out to touch where Sesshoumaru had collided. The tips of his fingers brushed against something solid, although there was nothing there. **An invisible wall…** he deduced.

Sesshoumaru stood up from the ground, his pride a bit damaged. **"What's going on?"** he yelled, not even noticing that as a human he was more emotional that when he was a youkai.

Inuyasha noticed that and pointed it out to him.

Inuyasha was seeing Sesshoumaru in a whole new light. He saw that as a human he was actually acting…like Inuyasha acted. Like right now he was making a fit by pounding the floor and yelling curses that only Inuyasha would say. Things like, "**You bastard! I bet you did this!"** or **"What the hell is going on?"**

Sesshoumaru calmed down and **finally** realized that he was overreacting. A thought struck him and he turned around to see the entrance of the cave. He grinned evilly. Well, there was a wall that was preventing Inuyasha from getting to him, so he bet that Inuyasha couldn't get to the entrance of the cave. He turned back to look at Inuyasha, the smirk never leaving his face. "Seems you're out of luck, **brother**," he said, pronouncing brother like it was a disgusting word.

Inuyasha's eyes widened with realization. He growled and clenched his fists. "Damn you, you bastard!"

Sesshoumaru turned away from him and began walking towards the entrance of the cave.

He didn't anticipate that the entrance was blocked as well. Just like when he tried to attack Inuyasha, he was sent down on his butt. Inuyasha couldn't help but laugh at him. He clutched his stomach and howled with laughter. It was so much that he was sent to the floor, still laughing like a crazy hyena.

Sesshoumaru stood up for the third time that day and glared. "**Urusai, baka!"**

Inuyasha continued to laugh. "Haha—it's just that—haha—you fell—hehe—on your butt—**HAHA!**"

Sesshoumaru couldn't say anything since all he could do was curse and throw a fit. He pouted and walked over to sit on a rock and sulk. **Damn that Inuyasha. Laughing at me like a baka!**

Once his giggles were down, Inuyasha wiped the tear that was forming from the laughing he had done. He walked over and also sat on a rock. His face then grew serious when he remembered everyone. **They're probably worried about me.** He turned his face away and frowned. **Serves them right. Especially Kagome. I had forgotten about the flirting that she had been doing with that bastard wimpy wolf Kouga. And then Miroku, Sango, and Shippou naturally sided with her, saying that she wasn't flirting. Yeah right! My ass she wasn't flirting! She was batting her eyelashes at him and thanking him for helping! That counts as flirting!**

He remembered the scene well:

**Begin Inuyasha's imagination (his overreacting imagination)**

_Kagome ran towards Kouga with a smile on her beautiful face. "Oh Kouga," she said as she made her eyes look all innocent. "Thank you so much for helping us today. I really appreciate it."_

Kouga was also running towards her and he looked ready to take her in his arms and even kiss her. He stopped when they had reached each other in the middle and he had a smug look as he looked at his nails. "Well, it was no problem. I **AM** naturally stronger than that tog-turd."

Kagome then jumped into his arms and they shared a passionate kiss.

**End of Inuyasha's imagination (his overreacting imagination)**

Inuyasha pounded his fist into the rock and then winced when a sharp pain ran up his arm. He forgot that as a human he couldn't pound anything and expect it to crumble to pieces. And that usually made him feel semi-better too!

"You're a fool," Sesshoumaru said in the familiar emotionless voice. **Looks like he's acting like his old self again** Inuyasha concluded. "Yakamashii (tsu)!" he then yelled and turned his face away.

Yet Sesshoumaru couldn't contain his thoughts to himself. "I wonder if Naraku is behind all of this…"

"Feh." Inuyasha couldn't help but add to that. "If he was then he would have come here to destroy us while we were unconscious. Besides, he wouldn't be smart enough to think up of such a thing."

Was it just the fact that he was human or was it something else that was causing him to agree with Inuyasha? Either way he nodded and then went back to brooding. **But then, who put us in here and why did they turn us into humans? If it was for revenge, then why didn't they just kill us when we were unconscious like Inuyasha suggested? Or are they trying to torture us?**

There was a long silence between the two of them, neither knowing what to say. They had spent their whole life fighting each other that conversation was never a problem. All they would do was fight and curse at each other (or rather Inuyasha would curse and Sesshoumaru would insult him).

"Oi," Inuyasha said to break the silence and at least try to get along for now. "What do you think someone should do when there's a guy who likes a girl, but there's another guy who hates it that he likes her? But he doesn't understand why he gets so worked up over it?"

Inuyasha expected Sesshoumaru to stay silent or even say something along the lines of "Don't even talk to me", but he actually decided to say something. "Well, I'd suggest that the guy who gets so worked up over it should just get it through his thick skull that he likes the girl and that's why he freaks out."

Inuyasha knew that Sesshoumaru didn't know about the whole "Kagome and him being confused about his feelings" situation, so he didn't get angry by the rude advice. He decided to think about things and try to see if what he said was right.

"And what do you say," Sesshoumaru attempted at the stream of conversation, "to someone who used to hate humans but then along comes this little kid that shows him that humans aren't so bad?"

"I'd say that perhaps he's learning to accept what he didn't want to before."

Again there was silence as both thought about the (^^;;) semi-advice they had just been given.

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I get so worked up about it because I can't stand the sight of Kagome with that wimpy wolf. Perhaps I am falling for her…

_Thanks to Rin I now understand humans a little bit better. And she helps me to understand them even more little by little…Maybe they aren't so bad after all…_

~**~

They had spent the day brooding and occasionally seeking advice from one another when something was bothering them. Both came to the conclusion that perhaps the only reason they were getting along was because they were both human.

But how long **WERE** they going to be human? A day? A month? A year?

…Forever?

~**~

Outside of the cave were two woman watching everything unfold before them. The one with the long red hair turned to the one with long black hair. "It seems our plan is working. They're finally getting along."

The one with black hair nodded. "And once they understand that brother's shouldn't fight, we'll let them out and turn them back to normal."

They agreed and materialized away into nothingness…

To be continued…

Eep! I didn't mean for this to be more than one chapter! I really didn't!! It was just that I got a bit of writer's block so I decided to end it there and try to think up of more things that should happen.

But I hope you're liking it so far! There's isn't too much fluffiness (gomen!) but next chapter there will be (and it's NOT between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru) ::shudders:: A brother/brother fluff fic is just wrong. This fic is **ONLY** to help Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha understand that they shouldn't fight.

Is the term for friend/friend or sibling/sibling fics "waff"? Fics like those are about love but not the romantic kind. *scratches head* Is it "waff"?

Well, I'll see you in the next chapter! Inu/Kag fluffiness coming but it isn't the central part of the fic.

And the next part is the last part. This isn't a long fic (it was actually supposed to be a one-shot )

Oh! And…PLEASE REVIEW!!!!

Signed,

Inuyasha-loves-Kagome (A.K.A. Inu-chan)

Email: hitomi_fanel1111@yahoo.com

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Japanese terms used:

Some like _youkai_ and _hanyou_ should look familiar so here are the one's that don't:

Yakamashii = I read it from the Inuyasha manga (Vol 15) that Inuyasha said this in chapter 3. Chris-sama translated it as "Shut up!" So let's go with that k? Though the word also had "tsu" at the end…

Urusai = Another form of saying "Shut up!"

Hanyou = okay, decided to translate for those new to Inuyasha. It means "half-demon".

Youkai = demon

Baka = Idiot, stupid…let's just say it's an insult.

Oi = Hey

Doushita = What's wrong?

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	2. Released

Whoo hooo! I finally got the last chapter out. I hope I didn't mess it up. Thanks for waiting everyone! ^_^ I hope you all read, like, and review. I spent all day on this.

Thanks to:

Aure Chan 

**Anubis_Shinigami**

**Galandria the Vampire Queen**

**ladykaa28**

**GinHasa**

**Eshtarte iris**

**lessa4**

**Princess Kat**

**ChildofMidnight**

**Long Shot**

**inuyashafan**

**Umi no Yuki**

**Babyshiro**

**Chavi West-Wind**

**opal eyes**

**Ore Goddess of Wonderland**

**Lady Pyro**

**Baka deshi**

**DemonAni**

**eirivan**

Cherokey 

**Kells Hanyou**

**Keolla**

**usagipegusus**

**Emmi-chan**

**Lin-Ysh**

**flashgemini**

So please review!!!

**Brotherly Love**

By Inuyasha-loves-Kagome (A.K.A. Inu-chan)

_Chapter 2_

~*~^_^~*~

          Sunlight peaked over the misty horizon, casting its warming glow onto the cold earth and shining it a nice golden color. When the glow's gradual spread on the earth reached a cave, the warmth spread over two bodies completely sprawled on the ground in a sleep so deep, someone would have thought them dead if they saw them.

          One of the occupants of the cave, Sesshoumaru, squeezed his eyes against the light rousing him. Groaning from being awoken, he placed both un-clawed hands on the ground in order to lift himself up and look around the cave groggily. Still dreaming and with eyes squinted against the rays of the sun, he stood up in a motion that was not very elegant. He had almost tripped on his long hair!

          He rubbed his head and shook it in order to rid himself of the sleepiness. **_I'm becoming as lazy as a human_** he realized with disgust. Smoothing out his clothing so he at least looked presentable, he made a quick scan of the cave. **_And here I was thinking this had all been a dream_** he again thought in disgust.

          His gaze landed on his still-asleep half-brother and he snorted unceremoniously and turned his face away. Given the circumstances, since he wasn't allowed to attack and kill his brother like he had always planned, he decided instead to seek advice from him. In his demon form he doubted he would have done it. He looked down at his un-clawed hand in contempt. **_It's all the fault of this damn human form!_**

          Hearing moaning, groaning, and finally grunting, he turned his head to see Inuyasha lift himself from the floor just as clumsily as he had done. Sleep never seemed to bode well with humans, he could tell. Sesshoumaru snorted at his clumsy half-brother. Even he, the great Sesshoumaru, could act elegant and refined as a human.

          Inuyasha looked groggily around, trying to shake the sleep from his body and allow his mind to catch up with his sluggish movements. He groaned in annoyance when he realized, like Sesshoumaru had done earlier, that this had not been a dream and he was still living in the nightmare. "Dammit, I'm still here," he tried a growl as best he could in his human form.

          "Of course you are," a misty figure replied from all directions around the cave, as if resonating of the walls, only without the echo effect. "Both of you shall remain here until certain requirements are met."

          A slow, thick mist began to crawl into the cave, passing by the magical barriers as if they weren't there. The mist that was still at the entrance began to grow and take shape, at first with no gender before the curves materialized. Once the two mist forms were complete and the mist was only encircling the shapes, it began to disappear in order to reveal two floating woman, one with flaming red hair and a royal violet colored gown and the other with long, silky black hair and a sapphire colored gown. Both possessed deep, green eyes and long, silvery wings.

          "Good morning Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru," the one with black hair greeted, her eyes smiling although her mouth was not.

          Inuyasha did not return the greeting as he recognized the one with red hair. He pointed at her as his teeth clenched in a snarl. "**_You_! **You were the one who trapped me in that fucking bubble!**"**

          The one with red hair did smile at Inuyasha. "Yes, I am the one. I am Feire and she is Rosaleen." She pointed to the one with black hair. "She was the one who trapped your brother."

          Inuyasha snuck a peak at Sesshoumaru through the corner of his eyes but he saw that Sesshoumaru said or did nothing except glare at the woman with black hair. He turned his eyesight back to the one with flaming red hair. "So are you finally going to let us go?"

          Feire shook her head slowly. "We are simply here because we knew that both of you would be hungry. We moved the barriers a bit farther away to give both of you the opportunity to look for something to eat. We have not, however, allowed the barrier to go any farther than what we think is enough. We don't want the two of you go off and look for your friends. The barriers are just outside the range of how far we knew they would look. Plus, the barriers are sound proof so you wouldn't be able to yell out for them."

          Rosaleen spoke up with her soft, mousy voice. "We have allowed the barriers to break in the middle which means that the both of you can cross over to where the other is. However, if you attack each other, a wall will come between the both of you until you settle down. There is to be no attacking one another."

          "**Who are you to be telling us what we can and can't do?!**" Inuyasha yelled out, hands clenched so hard that if he were to open them, there would be finger impalements.

          "We are the ones who have trapped you here until further notice," both of them said at the same time. Separately both of them had different voices but when they talked together it was as if they had the same voice. "Once we are satisfied, then we will set you free." And with that said they materialized out before Inuyasha could question them even further.

          "Dammit!" Inuyasha cursed. He didn't think he could take much more of this. He wanted out and he wanted it now!

          He looked up when he saw Sesshoumaru walk calmly towards the entrance of the cave, almost as if cautious so that the same thing last time wouldn't happen again. When he reached the entrance he gingerly reached his hand out in order to see if the barrier was indeed gone.

          His hand passed through.

          Seeing as how there was no barrier keeping him back, he began running. **_Good riddance_** Inuyasha thought and he too began to walk towards the entrance, knowing that this time he wouldn't be knocked down.

~*~^_^~*~

          "Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome silently mused as she pushed aside a bush so she could pass through. Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippou weren't too far behind her. They had been looking for Inuyasha ever since he went off in a huff yesterday after that incident with Kouga. Kagome knew he became angry whenever Kouga showed up and she acted nice towards him, but Inuyasha would usually come back only a few hours later. He would remain in a bad mood but at least he would return. Since he didn't return that time, Kagome become worried and everyone had decided to go looking for him, everyone wondering why he hadn't returned to continue the search for the _Shikon shards.          _

          "Maybe Kouga really bothered him this time," Shippou offered from Sango's shoulder (who also currently had Kirara on the other). His tail was swishing back and forth in a manner that suggested he was bored and just wanted to find Inuyasha so they could continue they their journey.

          "I doubt it Shippou," Miroku suggested as he held his staff in one hand and moved foliage with the other. "No matter how much Kouga bothers him, he always comes back in order to continue the search for the _Shikon shards."_

          "And to protect Kagome-chan," Sango whispered to Miroku and Shippou so Kagome wouldn't be able to hear. Miroku nodded in silent agreement.

          Kagome, on her part, just kept becoming increasingly worried. And she wouldn't rest until they found him.

          **_Inuyasha…please be safe…_**

~*~^_^~*~

          The flames danced and licked at the air as Inuyasha raised his arm, then brought it down upon the rabbit he had captured, ripping apart the skin to the juicy meat inside. Using his fingernails as best he could, he separated the pelt from the meat, being careful not to leave too much meat sticking onto it. He hated the smell of blood, whether it come from animal or human, but when he used to be alone he had been doing far too long for it to bother him now. It was different now. Now he was used to warm meals from Kagome's time; fresh ramen just having been heated with boiling water or already cooked meat having been prepared in her time.

          He scrunched up his nose at the smell of the blood, completely despising it and trying to hold his nose as far away as possible. At least it wasn't as powerful as when he was a _hanyou. With the entire pelt gone, he tied it to the sticks over the fire, making sure to arrange it so that it all cooked evenly._

          As it cooked, he sat back against a tree and gazed into the fire, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his arms and head on them unconsciously in the similar manner Kagome usually did it.

          **_I wonder how worried they are about me_** Inuyasha pondered a little sadly. His concern over their concern was so great, he had completely forgotten by now how angry he had been at Kagome for acting as nice as she did towards Kouga. It was in the back of his mind now and the only way it could be brought back to the front was if Kouga himself showed up again.

          He tensed a little when he heard the bushes move, an instinct from constantly being attacked over the _Shikon fragments, but then remembered that the only one it could be was his older brother Sesshoumaru._

          Predictions proving 100% correct this time, Sesshoumaru emerged from the bushes with no animal in his hands and no blood smeared over his mouth. In fact, Inuyasha found it strange to see him holding his stomach and completely giving the impression that he was a hungry boy who hadn't eaten for days.

          Sesshoumaru wasn't looking at him but at the meat cooking over the fire. After only looking for a few minutes, he tore his gaze away stubbornly and plopped himself down on the floor. Even as a human he seemed too proud to admit that he was hungry and that he hadn't been able to catch anything because of the slowness of his movements and the lack of his demon senses.

          Inuyasha snorted and scoffed at him with his eyes half open. "Couldn't catch a meal eh?"

          "_Urusei_," was the simple answer.

          Sighing, Inuyasha went over the already cooked meat and took it down. He could tell Sesshoumaru was trying hard not to look at the meat and smell the delicious aroma. 

          Sesshoumaru continued to look away from the meat. He wasn't about to admit anything. He would just try his best to catch something later. He was surprised, however, when he found himself staring at a large piece right in front of his face. Eyes wide, he turned to see Inuyasha holding out a piece out towards him, a neutral expression on his face.

          "Eat it," Inuyasha ordered, feeling for only a tiny second that _he_ was the older brother.

          Sesshoumaru continued to merely stare at the meat, having an internal battle with himself. Here was meat he hadn't caught himself. However, he was beyond famished and he knew that because he wasn't used to this human body, his movements were far beyond the ones he used to catch food for him, Rin, and Jaken. There was no way in a million years that he would ever catch something as a human. It just wasn't something he could ever do.

          After many minutes of the warm, appetizing meat enticing his senses, he slowly reached his hand out and reluctantly took it from his younger brother's out-stretched hand. Inuyasha have a tiny smile and went back to his own seat a few trees away from his brother, ready to eat his own share of meat.

          They both ate in silence as two figures smiled quite a ways away.

~*~^_^~*~

          After breakfast, Inuyasha had gone looking for a spring, a river, any source of water that would help him clean off the blood stench from his clothes and his body. He had hoped the two women, goddess, or whatever they were had at least spread the barrier far enough that there was a source of water for the two of them to bathe and drink from.

          Finding one and hearing splashes already, Inuyasha made his way over and found Sesshoumaru bathing, washing away the dirt from his clothes and hair. It was a pond almost the size of a mini-lake with clear water and rocks on the edges for resting on. Sunlight leaked through the trees and caused parts of the pond to glisten a baby blue color. At perfect times in the day, one could rest on the rocks and be warmed by the sun in order to dry off.

          Inuyasha was beginning to feel a little embarrassed because he had never bathed with anyone watching him. He knew his mother had done it, but that was when he had been small. Mothers weren't as embarrassing as brothers since it was more natural.

          Sesshoumaru sensed Inuyasha had come and looked off towards him, his hair wet and clinging to his body. He only stared at his embarrassed brother before he went back to the tasks of washing the dirt off. "Why don't you get in _baka_? You obviously need to clean off the blood smell off you."

          A vein throbbed at Inuyasha's temple as he tried not to lash out at him. He would have had he not remembered that attacking him would be pointless because a barrier would just block his path and rather than hurt Sesshoumaru, he would end up hurting himself. He simply snorted and began undressing, still feeling a little embarrassed, but not as much as before.

          Inuyasha never saw it, but Sesshoumaru smirked and congratulated himself. _Operation—Make Little Brother Less Embarrassed _was a complete success.

          Setting his clothes a good distance away from the water, Inuyasha got in and began to wash everything off. Being clean felt good and he relished in the feeling. He didn't enjoy the awkward feeling from bathing in the same pond as his older brother however. He wracked his brain for something intelligent to say in order to start a healthy conversation.

          He was surprised when Sesshoumaru started it instead. "Do you remember when you were a little _gaki_?" he asked emotionlessly.

          Inuyasha frowned, and then turned to glare at Sesshoumaru's back. "_Nande_?"

          Sesshoumaru snorted, but still continued to talk about it rather than say "Never mind". "I was just wondering if you remember being that young."

          Inuyasha bristled. "**I'm not that old!**"

          To Inuyasha's complete and utter surprise, Sesshoumaru chuckled, a sound he found scary coming from the demon-turned-human. Inuyasha took a step back away from his older brother. "I didn't mean that," Sesshoumaru laughed out. "I just meant if you remember when you were a little _gaki."_

          Inuyasha's tension faded away slowly and he loosened his face from the angry look it had. "Only bits and pieces of it, mostly only moments with my mother. It was too long ago. Why?"

          For a while Sesshoumaru didn't say anything. The silence was unnerving to Inuyasha, something he had never experienced with his brother because usually when they met up they would only fight and never talk. He had to admit that it was always his brother who would want to fight but because of Inuyasha's pride and stubbornness, he never backed down from the fight. If his brother had not always wanted to fight, then perhaps they would have settled their differences a long time ago (differences they never would have had if Sesshoumaru had been nice from the beginning).

          "I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted when you were a _gaki_."

          That completely threw Inuyasha for a loop. The Great and Proud Sesshoumaru was apologizing to someone he found unworthy of such a thing?! Inuyasha's eyes widened as he stared at the back of Sesshoumaru, the water's shrine reflecting on him. Inuyasha tried to growl as best he could. "What the hell do you mean?!"

          Sesshoumaru turned around then and stared emotionlessly at Inuyasha. "Just how it sounds _baka_." He looked off towards the water and kept his voice calm and low. "You said you don't remember everything so you probably don't remember how I used to treat you since the beginning, ever since you were born."

_~*~Flashbacks~*~_

_          "It's a boy!" the kind _youkai_ doctor exclaimed as he held the tiny, crying baby in his arms. The father, a youkai__ lord of great power among the Inu youkai__ named Inutaisho, walked forward with long steps, a happy smile on his face. The youkai_ doctor handed the little bundle to the father and then went over to see how the mother was doing after that strenuous child birth.__

_          Inutaisho stared into the scrunched face of his new son and laughed happily. He was a very beautiful baby and he knew he would be a wonderful son just like his pre-teen one. He looked off at his tired wife and shifted the baby so that she could see him too. "Do you see him koi? Isn't he beautiful?"_

_          His wife, a human named Rumiko, simply smiled, then closed her eyes, her head lolling to one side. The doctor assured her mate that she was simply tired from so many hours of labor._

_          Inutaisho held the newest addition to the family up, causing giggles to erupt from the tiny baby. "I shall call you Inuyasha. It's a strong name for a wonderful son." He looked off at the lonely figure near the shadows of the room. "Come closer son. Come and see your little brother."_

_          Sesshoumaru simply glared at the baby like he was the most worthless thing in the world and walked out of the room, leaving his father confused and a little disappointed. The baby began to cry again…_

_~*~_

_          Giggling like he was doing the funniest thing in the world, baby Inuyasha sat on the floor and kept tossing his toys everywhere, especially at his older brother who was busy studying Japanese Kanji. Sesshoumaru growled when a wooden duck hit the side of his head, not hard enough that it would make a gash or anything but annoying nonetheless._

_          He turned on his brother and growled angrily. "Stop doing that you little brat!"_

_          Inuyasha's lower lip jiggled and tears collected on his eyes before he began bawling his eyes out. A very annoyed _neko youkai_ nurse came in and picked up the crying baby, deciding to take it to its mother to stop its crying._

_          Sesshoumaru cleared his throat quickly and went back to studying._

_~*~_

_          "_Onii-chan_!" A _chibi_ Inuyasha of about 3 or so went running towards the teenage looking demon sitting on a large boulder near a Japanese pond. He had a giggling face as he ran, not even caring how silly he looked in his oversized red kimono that his father had just bought him._

_          He reached out his cubby little hand and touched the teenage demon whom was doing his best to ignore the little _hanyou_ he considered a pest. "You're it!" Chibi _Inuyasha giggled and went off running.__

_          His older brother Sesshoumaru continued to sit on the rock._

_          Inuyasha frowned, then ran back towards his brother and tagged him again. "You're it _onii-chan_!"_

_          All Sesshoumaru did was growl and say, "Don't touch me you little pest!"_

_          Being easily hurt, Inuyasha's eyes filled with tears and he went running to find his mother or father._

_          Sesshoumaru simply stayed where he was and continued to gaze into the pool._

_~*~_

_          An older Sesshoumaru walked through the palace of the feudal palace belonging to his father. His father was away on a mission to stop some rumored powerful _youkai_ that was coming towards their home in order to kill the whole family. His father had ordered him to take care of his brother and step-mother but Sesshoumaru had simply snorted and not answered._

_          He had no idea Inuyasha, now looking like a 4-5 year old, was following him and copying his every movement. It was mostly due to the fact that Inuyasha stayed out of his brother's smelling range. Inuyasha was proud to have his powerful brother. He really admired him and wished to grow up to be just like him. He would always obverse the way his brother did things and try to do them himself._

_          When Sesshoumaru reached a rather tall _sakura_ tree, he climbed it until he reached the top. Inuyasha simply stopped and looked up at the massive tree. To him it looked even larger. Deciding nothing would stop him; Inuyasha jumped and tried to reach the lowest branch. He came short a few inches._

_          "_Baka_," his brother would mutter from his spot in the tree. "You'll never be able to climb a tree this large."_

_          "I will too!" Inuyasha challenged. He tried again but still came up short. He thought about what he could do to be able to reach the lowest branch and came up with the idea to grab a wooden stool._

_          "_Baka_," his brother continued to taunt him. "Even if you _DO_ make it to the lowest branch, how will you reach the next one with no help?"_

_          Inuyasha frowned when he realized he was right. He looked up at his brother, or at least tried to. "Well, you can help me reach the next one."_

_          Sesshoumaru snorted. "As if I'd help a _**worthless**_ hanyou_ like you."__

_          Inuyasha's eyebrows scrunched up together, not understanding that word. It was the same word he had heard some lady's and lord's say when they were playing ball and he had joined in before they had tossed the ball for him to "fetch". When he looked back, they had left. He had then gone off to ask his mother what the word meant but all she did was shed tears and hug him._

_          He decided to look for someone else who could tell him what that word meant._

_          Sesshoumaru simply glared at his retreating back._

_~*~End Flashbacks~*~_

          After Sesshoumaru's confession and remembrances of the past, both of them remained silent, the water as calm as they were. Inuyasha was silently pondering what his brother had just told him and frankly he didn't remember it, but he felt that his words were true. In his heart he knew that there had been a time when he had continuously tried to get along with his brother and play with him but Sesshoumaru would have none of it.

          Inuyasha simply shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "What can be done about the past? It's over with and nothing can change it."

          Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder at Inuyasha, his eyes almost emotionless but with bits and pieces of sadness leaking through them.

          Going over in order to retrieve his clothes, Inuyasha grabbed them and then went over to the tanning rock to dry. Laying his clothes across his lap, Inuyasha lay down and allowed the sun to warm him and dry him. It was also a good time to think things over about what Sesshoumaru had just told him.

          **_I may not remember, but since I know it's true, I wonder why he always hated me. Was it because I was a hanyou_?__**

          "I confess I was a little jealous," Sesshoumaru said. Inuyasha didn't bother to look at him but Sesshoumaru could tell he was listening. "Before you were born, I was the favorite. Father would always pay the most attention to me." Walking over to another tanning rock, he arranged his clothes on them so they could dry, and then climb on in order to dry himself off. "But when you came into this world, I thought many things. I thought 'How could father love something that was only half and half over someone who was full demon?' 'How could he mate with a human and have a _hanyou?' I was too proud then, thinking that being full demon meant you were the top of your class, the best there was. Humans were weak and being part human was even worse because it meant you had mixed blood; tainted blood." He chuckled lightly and lay down on the warm rock, his arms behind his head. "Everything changed when I met Rin. She changed the way I saw things. At first I didn't want to consider her a small human. Instead I considered her a weak demon. If I thought that way, then I could always say that humans were still weak creatures, weaker than she was." He paused and frowned. "Finally after a while I began to think as humans as caring creatures, something demons lacked. I didn't want to admit such a thing but I felt it, and in a way I admired that trait in them." He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at Inuyasha. "It's the same as with your human woman, isn't it?"_

          Inuyasha turned his head in his direction, his warm, amethyst eyes slightly sleepy. The warmth of the sun and just having taken a bath was lulling him. "You mean Kagome?"

          "_Aa_," Sesshoumaru nodded. "She's like Rin in many ways, only order. I admire the both of them."

          Inuyasha smiled at the thought of Sesshoumaru with stars in his eyes as he admired Kagome like a rabid fan. But he had to admit that he was right. He had always known Kagome was caring and sweet, but had never admitted it to anyone. **_Perhaps it high time I tell her_**.

          "Perhaps becoming a human helped me to understand them better," Sesshoumaru confessed. "I wouldn't want to be one forever because they lack the advanced senses demons have, but at least now I won't consider them so weak. At least not weak of heart because some have proven never to give up when there were obstacles against them."

          "And being mixed," Inuyasha couldn't help but ask. "Is there really anything wrong with being a demon and loving a human?"

          "Well," Sesshoumaru paused, thinking it over. "I guess I might be the only demon to admit that it isn't wrong to love what you love, whether it be demon, human, or whatever. Love is love." And he had Rin to prove it.

          Inuyasha smiled at his brother before adjusting himself into a sleeping position once again. He was in dreamland in no time…

~*~^_^~*~

          Feire smiled warmly as she gazed at the sleeping demons-turned-humans. Rosaleen was there with her, also looking at them with warm eyes. "It seems our plan has worked," Feire commented. "And faster than either of us could ever hope to anticipate."

          Rosaleen nodded, her black hair swaying with her movements. "Yes. It appears that they'll be okay from now on. Tomorrow should be a good time to let them go. Their friends are very worried about them."

          Feire giggled as a thought appeared in her mind. "And any time they decide to go back to their old ways, we shall just trap them again. We'll be like mothers disciplining their children."

          Rosaleen claps her hands together happily and giggled with glee. "Yes! I love that idea!"

          Both of them smiled together.

~*~^_^~*~

          Both had awoken to empty stomachs and had gone off looking for food. Sesshoumaru learned how to quickly catch his own meal as Inuyasha showed him should this happen again (although they joked that there was no way it would… e.e ^_^).

          After eating and finding the day nearing its end, both had retired to their cave to get sleep. Since they didn't know they were being let out tomorrow, both had planned on doing some more talking at the pond while catching some fish for breakfast.

          Boy were they surprised when they awoke the next morning to find Feire and Rosaleen at the entrance of the cave, both smiling affectionately.

          "What do the two of you want now?" Inuyasha asked lightly, still not fully awake. He didn't feel up to being angry at anyone.

          "The both of you will be happy to hear that we're letting you go now," Rosaleen smiled out. If her smile got any bigger, it would expand wider than her face, causing her to look scary.

          "Really?!" Sesshoumaru asked with eyes wide. How he hoped they weren't joking for their pleasure.

          "Yes," Feire answered, also smiling. "The barriers are now gone. Both of you can leave and go with your friends. We have been observing the two of you the whole time and we feel both of you have progressed enough and can now get along like brothers should."

          "However," Rosaleen began, "if we see that the two of you are back to being your normal fighting selves around each other, we shall again lock you two together and do it as many times as necessary before you two understand what it is to be siblings."

          Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru could tell they weren't joking. They nodded.

          "Good," Feire said, and then raised both her arms. When they saw nothing happen, they lowered their eyebrows. However, when they both began to feel a tingly sensation run through them, they began to understand what she was doing. Both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru felt their regular senses return to them, their nails grow and sharpen, their hair lighten, and their fangs grow out. When the process was complete, they looked at each other and saw someone they both recognized. Inuyasha whooped and Sesshoumaru simply smiled lightly. Obviously their demon ways were back.

          "Heed our words," Feire said, a serious expression on her face that was completely unbecoming of her.

          With their words said, they materialized out of the cave.

          Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were left alone in the came in complete shock. They had never even been given the change to ask who they were, where they came from, etc.

          Inuyasha looked at his older brother. "Going to go look for Rin and Jaken now?" he asked with a smile, knowing that things were going to be different them from now on.

          For a while Sesshoumaru said and did nothing. Inuyasha had the fear that the whole experience hadn't changed him at all and he was back to being cold and would fight him over Tessaiga.

          It came as a surprise when Sesshoumaru looked down at him and gave a shadow of a smile, as much as Sesshoumaru could handle while still wanting to keep his reputation as a powerful demon lord. "Yes," was his simple answer. With that said, he walked away elegantly in order to find Rin and Jaken and see just how worried they were about him.

          Inuyasha's eyes were wide, but he shook his head with a smile and went on his own way to go look for Kagome and the rest. He had a few things he wanted to do before they continued on their journey for the _Shikon fragments._

~*~

          "Ahhh~~~" Rin sighed with her arms behind her head. She was bored, had been bored ever since her Sesshoumaru-sama disappeared two days ago. She was trying hard to be brave for Jaken who was out looking for him and crying asking why he left them behind so suddenly. In reality she wanted to cry over her Sesshoumaru-sama just as badly as Jaken. She missed him dearly and wondered the same thing as Jaken.

          However, with Jaken gone as well, she gave in to the temptation to cry over him. Lowering her head so she could hide her tears, a few of them trickled down to the floor. "Where are you Sesshoumaru-sama? Why have you left Rin?"

          "Don't be sad over me Rin," came an unmistakable voice from over the hill. "Haven't I told you being sad and crying will solve nothing?"

          Rin raised her head, her tears still falling down her cheeks. In no time at all she saw her Sesshoumaru-sama coming towards her, expressionless as ever. The really amazing thing was that he was holding the bouquet he had rejected silently and she had dropped in rejection. She smiled wide at him and ran towards him. "Sesshoumaru-sama!"

          When she reached him, she hugged his legs since that was how short she was. "Rin is glad Sesshoumaru-sama is back!"

          Sesshoumaru allowed her to hug him for a while, knowing that this wouldn't hurt his reputation and pride since no one was around. He relished in the happiness she felt over his return. This was what he had missed.

          Placing two clawed hands (ahhh, clawed hands were nice to have back) on her shoulders, he pulled her away from him. Then he began to walk away again. "Come Rin. Let us look for Jaken and continue our search for Naraku."

          Rin simply smiled wide and said, "Hai!" then began to follow his retreating figure.

~*~

          Opening a flavor packet of chicken, Kagome began to pour it into the ramen before the water boiled. She found this to be more effective and let the flavor be more abundant than waiting to pour it when the water boiled. She had been doing everything in silence ever since their search for Inuyasha came up with no results.

          Everyone else stared at Kagome, all of them feeling sorry for her because they knew out of everybody Kagome missed Inuyasha the most, more than any of them could. They all missed him but because Kagome loved Inuyasha so much, she was nothing without him.

          When they had come back from searching last night, Kagome had immediately gone to bed but they knew better than to think that she did it to get some sleep. They heard her sniffing, especially Shippou who couldn't stand to see her so sad. He had gone to bed with her and had patted and soothed her head. Kagome had hugged him and everyone could see her body shake from her silent sobs.

          No one knew how to get her to smile. They had pretty much give up hope after many attempts in the morning. Sango had offered a warm bath, Miroku had touched Sango, trying to get a laugh like he always did (all he got was Kagome ignoring him). Shippou had done many funny transformations, knowing she always laughed at them, but with no reaction from the girl. No one knew what to do.

          "Kagome-sama," Miroku piped up, once again trying to get her to smile. "Might I add how lovely you look this morning?"

          No reaction. Kagome simply stirred the ramen.

          Miroku's shoulders slumped and he went back to his tree to lean against it and wait for his breakfast.

          "Psh, Miroku, you're an idiot."

          Everyone (except Kagome?) gasped when they heard the instantly recognizable voice. After a few seconds, everyone saw the silhouette that was Inuyasha. He appeared through the darkness like a ghost; a memory of the past. His hair was shining with the patches of light that came through the trees, his kimono clean and with no traces of dirt, his face a tad annoyed yet filled with warmth.

          Everyone knew it wasn't a dream when Shippou ran into Inuyasha and hugged him as best he could at his chest. "Wahhhh!!!" Then he started chewing on Inuyasha's head. "_Baka_!!! We were all worried about you!!"

          A vein of annoyance throbbed on Inuyasha's temple as he grabbed Shippou and tossed him as far away as possible. "Little brat~~~!!!"

          "Inuyasha!" Miroku cried as he and Sango ran forward until they stopped in front of him. "Where were you?"

          Rather than answer his question, Inuyasha looked off at the only member of their party who hadn't gone running in his direction. Kagome was still on the floor kneeling beside the boiling ramen, her head bowed and her eyes not visible. Inuyasha knew better than to think she was simply ignoring him. He could smell the saltiness of her tears and even saw a few drops fall onto the floor from her face.

          "Kagome," Inuyasha whispered and walked over to her. He knelt before her and spread his arms. Before he could even close them around her, Kagome lunged into his embrace and began to cry out loud, causing him to move his ears to block the sound. He then wrapped his arms around her and waited for her to stop crying.

          When she was only sniffing, she tried to talk but all she could choke out from her constricted throat filled with emotion was "Where…?"

          "_Gomen_ Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, tightening his arms around her. Everyone sat around them (even Shippou who had come back from wherever he had landed) and waited to hear where Inuyasha was.

          When Inuyasha was sure Kagome would be able to listen, Inuyasha began his tail beginning from where he met Feire to where they finally let him go. No one could believe anything Inuyasha said because they all thought it too far-fetched. There was no way two beings could turn two demons into two humans for a day or whenever they wanted.

          When the tale was told, and Inuyasha not caring wherever or not they believed him, Inuyasha scooped up a now calm Kagome. Kagome shrieked. "Inuyasha! What are you doing?!"

          He made no answer as he took her to a private spot so the both of them could talk. It turned out to be an indent in the forest where trees were scarce. There was a large space, good enough for them to talk. Inuyasha set down a confused Kagome before sitting down in front of her.

          "Was kidnapping me necessary?!" Kagome fumed out. She had no idea what he was planning.

          "Kagome," Inuyasha began, his eyes so filled with warmth and love that it caused Kagome to blush. **_Why is he looking me like that?_** "There was something I was talking about with Sesshoumaru while we were trapped. I felt it was time I told you."

          "What is it?" Kagome asked uncertainly.

          "……I love you," he finally managed to say, using up all the courage of his being.

          Kagome's eyes widened. Was it possible? Did she hear right?

          Before Kagome could say anything, Inuyasha had leaned forward and captured her warm lips with his. She stiffened with the contact, not sure what to make of it. **_Is this for real…? Or is this a dream…?_** His kiss was soft, loving, and tender.

          It was when Kagome had finally responded to his kiss that he knew…

          …Kagome loved him too.

~*~

          On one sunshine morning, many days after the incident, Inuyasha and company were walking down a path one way, Sesshoumaru coming from the other. When both parties met halfway, Miroku, Sango, and Kagome all tensed and got ready for a battle they were sure would come.

          It was then that they believed Inuyasha's tale, knew he was finally telling the truth. They were surprised to say the least. What did Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru do to show it had been the truth?

          They smiled at each other. ^_^

_~*~ ^_^ Owari ^_^ ~*~_


End file.
